This is an epic film, unsurpassed cinematography, archetypal musical themes, powerfully charismatic people, in a slice of life telling of the exploration, exploitation and settling of the Americas by the Europeans.
I never stopped to think that in this film, the Mission undertaken in the middle of the wildest of South American forests was the building of a cathedral. With the resources and the immense complexity of such an undertaking amidst a native population, clearly this was seen as the essential task of missionary work.
This was the pattern for the Catholic Church throughout much of its history, as I understand it. Preaching the gospel as they understood it took place within the context of the building of a cathedral. The cathedral was all-important. Historic maps of Italy in the Vatican Museum show scattered hilltop villages, each with its own cathedral at its center.
In Protestantism the place of worship may be an abandoned warehouse, a neighbor's house, a storefront. Simplicity and humility are the order of the day. My little mountain church is typical, Nederland Community Presbyterian Church.
In the world of the Catholic Church the place of worship is the very center of the community life, grand and eloquent in its statement, built for the ages as a tribute to a powerful God. In even the simplest of small-town church buildings, architectural and aesthetic beauty are primary.
In the world of Protestantism, the worship space is incidental. Is it correct to say that in the world of Catholicism the cathedral is of prime importance?
With changing membership and attendance patterns in Protestantism, I've been present in conversations, serious considerations, about the advisability of maintaining large (read: expensive) church facilities. Something important is being omitted in these conversations.
No comments:
Post a Comment